Up before sunrise. Down for breakfast and they didn’t know we were coming a 1/2 he before they open. Got lots of yogurt and toast and eggs.
On the bus at 7:30 and off. We stopped to pick up some fruit and of course take photos. Right on the side of the highway. Most of the houses here are built on stilts. In the rainy season the river rises up to 5 meters and floods the area.
Onward we go. We need to checkin at the reserve and pee. Last bathroom for 5 hours. Off the pavement onto a dirt road. Going very slowly and stopping for birds.
We finally get to the place where we are going on the river. Eat a banana and follow me down a gravel path through the mangroves. We watched crabs come out of their holes to get leaves thrown on the ground. Then to the canoes. Wooden this time with just a plank to sit on.
Away down the estuary looking for birds. Saw a bunch, so osprey, herons, rosette spoon bills, more herons. O so green and hot. We were on the water about 90 minutes. When we got back to the bus we had some fresh pineapple – best I have ever eaten.
While standing around like a bunch of silly gringos the crab fishermen walked by with the crabs draped on them.
Down the road to the monkey trail. About half the group plodded off down the trail, the rest of us stayed on the bus and went for a ride to get some more water. Stopping for birds along the way. While we were stopped a motorcycle came up and stopped and one of our group got off. He had hitched a ride after deciding not to go for a walk in the mangroves. Then back to the drop off to wait for the rest.
They came slowly dragging their butts out of the mangroves happy they saw monkeys and not happy they had lots of mosquitoes.
Now off to have lunch at a cocoa plantation. A short bumpy drive to the place. We we greeted by two you girls and lead up to outdoor tables with white linen table clothes.
We had ceviche as an appetizer in plantain cups. Then chicken with rice and a salsa. After we finished we got a tour of he plantation. 15 hectares and they plant cocoa and rice fruit trees – papayas and mangos. We learned about how they grafted a new plant on an old root and sped up the growing process. It was very hot, over 30 and very humid.
We wandered back up to where we ate while they prepared the cocoa beans. They toasted them in a metal pan and then you rubbed them in your hands to remove the husk. Threw them in a grinder and made a thick paste. Put the paste in boiling water and made cocoa. Added cane sugar to sweeten it. It was good. 100% cocoa. Then onto the air conditioned bus – ahhhhhhh – and back to Guayaquil.
We were all hot and sweaty and tired. Dragged our sorry buts up to the room and relaxed for a bit. Went to the restaurant and had soup and rice pudding!
Tomorrow we leave for the Galapagos and will be out of contact – no phone or Internet until we get to Houston on Jan 24.
Hasta vista amigos